In supermarkets, grocery stores and other environments where virtually every product must be identified by some type of signage, there is recognized to be a continuous need for a fixture which brings a shopper's attention to a specific item and informs the shopper of the identification of the item and its unit pricing. This is particularly important in current supermarket facilities where most products are not individually identified with a product price but are instead identified by a bar code which is only machine-readable. As such, without appropriate fixture in the shape of, for example, signage, the shopper would be unable, in most instances, to discern a product price merely by examining the product itself.
Most supermarket or grocery store facilities are provided with horizontal shelving and, at the outer edge of each shelf, is provided a C-shaped channel such as is identified as element 1 having inwardly facing lips 2 and 3 (FIG. 1).
As being illustrative of the prior art, attention is directed to FIG. 1 which depicts an invention made the subject of applicant's previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,707 which issued on Nov. 21, 1989. In this illustration, a fixture in the form of sign holder assembly 10 is provided with frame member 11 capable of supporting and displaying a sign in a substantially vertical orientation made visible to the consumer through opening 12. Frame member 11 is shown hingedly connected through hinge 13 and, in turn, to attachment means 22 configured as a U-shaped member having outwardly facing protruding flat sections 23.
In use, U-shaped member 22 is applied to C-shaped channel 25 by applying inward pressure to legs 14 and 15 generally by one's thumb and index finger so that outwardly facing protruding flat sections 23 can slip between and become captured by inwardly facing lips 2 and 3.
Although the arrangement depicted in FIG. 1 is generally adequate to display appropriate signage at the edge of, for example, horizontally extending shelf 40, it has been found that when a consumer inadvertently engages a protruding sign holder or other product display identifier, U-shaped member 22 can easily disengage from C-shaped channel 1 resulting in the signage falling to the floor and remaining there until a store clerk reapplies the signage to its appropriate location.
The situation described above has been addressed in the past. Specifically, U-shaped member 22 has been provided with a set screw 50 passing within one of the legs of the U-shaped member which, when engaging the second leg of this member, acts to spread the legs apart and maintain contact between the outwardly facing protruding flat sections 23 and lips 2 and 3. This solution, although superficially seeming adequate, is not generally employed by grocery store personnel for they find that it is time consuming and physically awkward and employees do not always have the appropriate tool to apply and remove screws to U-shaped member 22 each time the U-shaped member is applied to and removed from a suitable store shelf. In addition, the cost of the screws and the labor to apply them are also significant particularly in comparison to the cost of the fixture holders themselves.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a means for the application and removal of suitable fixture attachment means to commonly used C-shaped channel molding which will maintain the fixture at the appropriate molding location until simple positive steps are conducted to removal the fixture when appropriate.
This and further objects will be more readily perceived when considering the following disclosure, appended drawings and claims.